Crimson Crush
by LadyLumiya
Summary: Red X left Jump City for a few years to test his skills elsewhere, but a certain redhead has plagued his thoughts ever since. He returns to the city where it all began and plans on causing the Titans as much trouble as he can to make up for his long absence. And also flirt with the beautiful woman who Starfire has grown to be. Oh yeah, he's definitely staying.


"Star, look out!"

The redhead heard Robin's worried cry just as a blast of electric yellow filled her vision. The exposed skin on her stomach burned and tingled as the blast forced her out of the air. Robin yelled again just before she roughly collided into the ground and skidded for a few feet in the rubble of pavement.

Starfire's world was black as she tried to push herself up on her elbows. The ongoing fight around her sounded distant to her ears. Her teammate's voices were sharp and loud, but Starfire couldn't understand a word of what was being said.

She groaned and slowly started to rise from the wreckage. Her joints ached but she forced herself to keep moving and not remain in such a vulnerable position. She didn't want her team going on the defensive just for her sake.

"You alright, Starfire?" A concerned voice asked from above.

Starfire blinked several times and raised her head. Beast boy was half crouched to her right, his eyes still on the battle going on between their team and remaining criminals.

She signed and pushed herself up, trying not to vocally express the throbbing pain behind her eyes and the burning sensation on her stomach. The past week without the heat of the sun was really having a toll on her foreign body. She and others from Tamaran depended on the radiation that traveled in the sun's glorious rays of light. It's what gave them strength and fueled their powers. And without it for a long period of time, it caused her kind to feel both physically and mentally exhausted.

"I am fine as of now." She forced a smile at her green skinned friend. "Thank you, Beast Boy."

"What are friends for?" he grinned and offered her a hand. He pulled her up and made sure she was steady on her feet before letting her hand go. "Now how about we go kick the rest of those bad dudes butts?"

Starfire chuckled at her smaller friend. "Yes, back to the butt kicking!"

Beast Boy laughed before shifting into a goat and galloped back into the thick of a battle. He danced around a few of the men, taunting them in his small animal form for several moments until they grew dizzy. He glanced back to make sure Starfire was watching him before he reared up and thrust his back legs out, his little hoofs literally striking the criminals in their rear-ends. Several men fell flat on their faces as Beast Boy sniggered and cackled in his hairy animal form.

Amused by her friend's silly antics, Starfire grinned and flew back into the battle to help her friends. She landed directly behind a large man about to use the same weapon that'd been used on her on Robin. Before he was even aware of her sudden appearance, Starfire plucked the gun from his hand and half crushed it with her strength.

"You will not hurt Robin with what you used to hurt me," She declared critically.

The enraged man spun around and opened his mouth to respond but the air he needed to speak was forced out of his lungs when Starfire kicked him right in the chest. He flew back and crashed into another member of his group as they both went tumbling to the ground.

Robin had an amused grin on his face when he turned to her.

"Thanks, Star."

Starfire felt her face heat up. She smiled and looked away so he wouldn't notice her blush.

"As Beast Boy said to me _'what are friends for?'_ "

"Yeah, friends." Robin nodded and smiled. He then turned and dashed off to take out the two remained criminals.

Slowly Starfire felt the corners of her lips fall. For some reason, hearing those words come from Robin's mouth made her chest…ache. It was a most usual feeling she was experiencing as of late. She noticed it started happening a few weeks back and only when she was in the company of Robin.

The face-heating thing really became a problem when she crossed Robin in the hall one late afternoon after he'd spent the day training in the gym. He'd had nothing on except the tight black spandex he wore on most days as pants. With a damp towel thrown over his broad shoulders, the absence of a shirt and the amount of sweat that coated his pale skin, Starfire had almost thought he'd been for a swim in the pool.

A droplet of sweat fell from a strand of his black hair and Starfire hadn't been able to look away as the little bead of sweat ran down his chest and over the ripples of his abs. Robin must not have been paying attention to her either at the time because they ended up running into each other. Robin had gripped her upper arms to keep her from falling back as she placed both hands on his chest to steady herself. It'd been that moment when Starfire realized that Robin didn't just look more like a grown man, but also _felt_ like one.

Robin had apologized sincerely for running into her but Starfire hadn't been able to respond to him at the time. Her curious head had been trying to recall just when Robin grew up and how she missed that transformation from cute teen to handsome young man.

"You ready to head back to the Tower, Star?"

Starfire abandoned her previous thought process and focused on Beast Boy who was standing off to her left. She looked past him and noticed how Cyborg and Robin were chatting amongst themselves with the criminals tied up several feet away. Raven was floating near the small group, the darkness of her hood facing their direction in case one of them tried something foolish.

"What of friends Robin and Cyborg?" she asked.

Beast Boy stuck a thumb over his shoulder at the other two males. "Eh, Robin says he's going to stay to fill in the police of the situation when they arrive. Cyborg's staying too cause he doesn't trust Robin driving his precious baby or whatever. You, Raven and I can fly back now though – maybe even pick up some pizza to bring back to the Tower."

Starfire couldn't help but glance back at Robin, desiring to speak with him but not quite knowing herself what it was she wanted to discuss.

"I… I have something else first I must do." She said quietly, her focus still on the thoughts circling in her

"Huh? Like what?" Beast Boy asked.

If she couldn't figure out what was going on with her emotions and if she was too nervous to speak with Robin about it, then maybe it was best if she did a little research on her own.

"I think the human term is _girl stuff_?"

Beast Boy's normally green faced turned bright pink as he brought up a hand to scratch the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah." He awkwardly laughed. "I think that's the term we use for that kind of thing. Just, um, do what you gotta do and I'll see you later I guess. I'll try to save you a few slices for when you get back."

"You have my thanks, friend! I will see you when I am to return home!" Starfire said happily, hugging him tightly for a few seconds before letting go when he started to cough. "Can you inform Robin I will have my communicator on in case I am needed?"

Beast Boy closed his eyes and groaned as he cracked his back after the hug. "Yeah, sure, no problem."

The redhead didn't stall and longer and took off into the cloudy sky, heading in the direction of the cities public library. She figured there would be the best place to do her research and not be disturbed.

 **~O~**

Starfire spent hours in the library combing through all the literature sections. The older lady who worked there helped direct her to the correct departments and provided personal opinions on several works and advice on how to identify topics in the books for someone from another planet. When Starfire had told the older woman what she was feeling in her chest, the woman smiled and guided Starfire to the romance aisle.

"How old are you, young lady?" the woman had softly asked.

Starfire didn't think twice before she responded, "Seventeen, but I am to become eighteen at the end of this planets month cycle."

The woman's hazel eyes gleamed. "I see… You no longer are a little girl. If you haven't read these books before, then I believe now is the perfect time to introduce you."

The librarian had scanned the rows for several moments, muttering lightly under her breath before she grasped the spine of a crimson book.

"One of your age groups favorites." She had said, offering the book to Starfire who already had her arms full of other genres. "It's even rare that we have this available. Girls come day after day just to see if it's been returned. I think It's a sign that it's available to be checked out the night you come to us."

Starfire had managed to maneuver the stacks of books into the crook of her left arm and reached out to grab the new book with her right. The book was dark red with no designs on the cover except for the title that was a cursive font in black ink.

"What is this one about?" she'd asked the woman curiously.

"It's a steamy romance."

Starfire's heart rate had picked up.

"Oh…that sounds…like it might be interesting."

The woman had laughed at the look on Starfire's tanned face before she ushered the girl to the checkout counter and helped her check out. She ended up leaving the public library with a new library card, four books on popular culture's cuisine, two on insect life in the area that might give her some insight on her Silkie, and three romance novels, which she kept hidden at the bottom of her bag. The librarian said that it would help give Starfire and idea on how earth romance's usually worked.

Starfire signed and turned her emerald eyes up to the night sky. The clouds still had yet to move on and give Jump City a break from the rain and fog. Everyone at the Tower missed the warmth and light that came with the sun, but Starfire had a real reason to carve its rays once more. The constant drowsiness fogged her mind in battle and put her and the rest of the Titans at a disadvantage. Even now as she walked the dark streets she felt as though her steps were too slow and the bag in her hand was too heavy.

Maybe she should call someone from the Tower to pick her up? She could fly back on her own, but after falling asleep once midflight after a long day of crime fighting taught her the mistake in that.

Starfire stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and stared at the bag in her hand. Citizens glanced at her as they passed but didn't comment and kept walking.

Were these _adult romance novels_ really going to help? Was what she was starting to feel towards Robin romantic? When did that begin to happen? When did she start to see him as someone that could be more than a friend? Is that what her heart was telling her? Did she desire Robin?

"You bastard, give that back!"

Starfire stiffened at abrupt sound and spun her head in the direction that it came from. Citizens around her turned their heads and stopped walking after hearing the commotion as well. A bulky man in a dark gray business suit stumbled towards the shadows between two break buildings.

"Can't be that important to you if you're carrying it around in public without a weapon on hand to stop guys like me from taking it. What happened to the tradition of handcuffing yourself to the briefcase to keep it from getting stolen?"

"You little shit you have no idea who you're stealing from! There won't be a damn place in this city where you can hide from us!"

Just then a man dressed head to toe in black emerged from the shadows. His pale skull mask shone brightly compared to the rest of the dark ensemble.

"Who's hiding? You really want this case back?" the masked man chuckled lowly and held it tauntingly in the air between them. "Come get it."

And then he was gone.

The bulky ma who he'd stolen from – who Starfire was positive was also some type of criminal – gaped at the masked man's abrupt disappearance. When he seemed to come to, the growled and plowed innocent bystanders down in pursuit of the man who'd stolen his briefcase. Three other men dressed in similar attire didn't hesitate to follow after. In seconds they were out of sight, consumed by the darkness of the alleyway where the masked man fled.

Starfire still couldn't believe what she just witnessed.

She'd just seen Red-X.

He disappeared from Jump City nearly four years ago and no one had been able to track him down or figure out the thieves identify. It drove Robin mad knowing someone was out there in the suit that _he_ created and was doing unlawful things with it. He blamed himself for every crime that Red-X committed, despite the constant assurances from the rest of the team that none of it was his fault.

She needed to call Robin.

Starfire gripped her book tightly and set off down the alley where the others had ventured. This could be her chance to capture Red-X and help Robin find peace with his past mistake. She dodged piles of trash in her path as she unclipped her communicate and dialed her friend's number. Robin quickly picked up.

"Starfire, what's wrong? Why aren't you back yet?"

"Robin!" She nearly yelled, unable to contain her excitement and determination. "Red-X has returned! He is here within the city!"

"He's what!? Are you sure!?" Robin shouted.

If Starfire had been looking at the screen instead of the thin path ahead of her then she would've witnessed him shooting up from his chair and slamming his fist on his gadget workbench.

She smiled brightly. "I am most certain, friend! I am in pursuit now!"

"You're what!? No, Starfire, don't try taking him on without the team to back you up. He has weapons that incapacitate each of your talents, remember? It's too dangerous."

"We will lose him if I do nothing, Robin! Who knows when he will choose to show his face again! I must take action now!"

She sharply turned a corner and followed the sounds of shoes smacking pavement ahead of her. She was catching up on them.

"Starfire I am ordering you to stand down! You're not strong enough to face him by yourself! The team is getting ready to leave as we speak! Wait until we arrive!"

Starfire's pace slowed, her breathing heavy and rushed as her already weakened body was being pushed harder. Robin's words kept repeating in her head. He thought she wasn't strong enough on her own? She was princess and a trained warrior from Tamaran, gifted with power of flight and summoning energy from the atmosphere itself.

Her constricting grip on the communicator nearly crushed the small device.

"You are wrong, Robin! I am strong and I know what I am capable of! Please do try to have more faith in me!"

"Star, that's not what I meant…" Robin muttered, surprised by her reaction and how she'd taken his words. "You know I don't think that of you. I'm just worried for your safety."

Starfire glanced a peek at his face on the screen. Robin looked stressed and she was sure if he didn't have his mask on then there would be guilt and grief in his eyes. Internally she sighed. If Robin still viewed her as her weaker self when she first joined the Titans, then how did he view her now? Was she a young woman to him, or still that curious little teen?

"Robin I…" she stopped suddenly when she noticed that the men she'd pursuing had stopped. "I will not engage him in full combat but will try to keep him in the area until the rest of you arrive." She clicked off the communicator and pocketed it quickly.

The four men stood with their backs to each other, guarding one another's blind spot as they scanned shadows. Starfire crept closer and ducked down behind a makeshift tent that most likely belonged to a homeless citizen.

"Where are ya you little bastard! You gonna fight us or what? Enough of this chasing bullshit! We don't have all night!" The larger man who had his case stolen shouted in the dark, gritty area around them. He spun several times where she thought he saw a flicker of movement.

"Lucky for you neither do I. I've got other appointments lined up after yours. I usually take care of the more boring assignments first and save the actual challenging ones last. You wanna know where you fall on my list of things to do?"

A dark shape moved atop a third story fire escape staircase, drawing Starfire and four thugs' gazes there. Red-X was standing on the metal railing, his skull masked tilted down towards the group of men.

"I couldn't give two shits now get your ass down here so we can fight!"

Red-X crouched down on the railing, his cape fluttering softly in the breeze behind him.

"How about I give you hint? It's still early in the night…"

"You son of bitch we don't have time for this bull crap! Are you coming down here or what!?"

Red-X shrugged his shoulders, not looking the least bit frightened by their threatening.

"If that's what you want…" and then he disappeared into thin air.

Starfire stared in bewilderment. The cloaking device on the suit was impressive in the past, but it wasn't perfect. One could still see the faint outline of the wearer and fuzziness of their movements as they attempted to blend in with their surroundings. So when Red-X disappeared this time, he _actually_ disappeared. He became completely invisible. Robin was most definitely not going to like this…

"Where'd he go!" one of the men shouted, twisting and turning to locate the masked thief.

"You think I got x-ray vision or something? How the hell am I supposed to know!?"

"Both of you shut up and keep focused! If we can't see his approach then maybe we'll hear it! Watch the shadows and-!" the man's head suddenly kicked back, his feet carried him several steps back before he fell to the damp ground.

The three other men stared in shock.

"You gotta be kidding me! Watch the shadows my ass!" one of the men said before removing a blade from his coat. The two other guys around him hurried to step back when their comrade started slashing wildly around the space, eager to make contact with the invisible thief.

Suddenly Red-X metalized right behind the crazed man, a long blade of his own gripped in his right hand.

"Looking for me?" he inquired amusingly.

The man spun around and didn't hesitate to thrust his weapon start towards Red-X's head. He easily sidestepped the attack though and swung his free arm up to knock away the man's oncoming punch. Like a dance they continued to move around the circular area, Red X constantly averting the other man's enraged attacks effortlessly.

Starfire couldn't look away from the fight – Red X's trim physique and graceful movements making it hard to. His fighting style was much like Robins, but there was a stark difference in their movements. Where Robin was harsh and vigorous with his punches and kicks, Red-X's were swift and piercing. It made Starfire all the more curious who this mysterious person was and where they came from.

Running out of energy and breath, the man wobbled after one particular shaky swipe. It was all Red-X needed to take the man down, though Starfire had a feeling that he'd only been toying with the man and testing his own endurance.

Red-X lowered himself back and caught himself with one hand for balance. He then twisted the lower part of his body and spun his left leg up, his twisted body given the limb momentum as it collided with the man's knife-wielding hand, sending the blade clattering several feet away. The man didn't even have time to look for it before Red-X finished his horizontal spin and flung into the air, kicking the man sharply on the side of the head. Starfire winced at the sound of thug's head hitting the cement. He was out cold.

"Don't know what was worse, that dull butter knife he called a blade or his horrible aim." Red-X commented aloud, making Starfire softly smile. The other two thugs had very different expressions.

"You piece of shit!" One of them two yelled furiously then charged forward, not holding back or caring that Red-X still had a blade of his own in his right hand.

Instead of dodging the man like Starfire was expecting, Red-X absorbed the impact and tightly gripped the man's arms and used his momentum to swing himself up and twist to land smoothly on the thug's shoulders. The thug grunted and threw a random punch upwards to knock the masked man off.

"Get off me you freak!"

Red-X chuckled as he avoided one punch then swiftly caught the next one that was aimed at his face. His other hand moved to grip the man's wrist before he swung his legs around – both hands still clutching the arm of the thug – and leaped from the man's back. The man screamed as his arm was sharply yanked backward followed by a loud popping sound before he flipped over, sailing through the air over Red-X and smacked face first into the gravel. He groaned and made to get up but Red-X stomped one foot on his back and held him there as he continued to awkwardly hold up the thug's injured arm.

"I hope you're not right handed because this is really going to make your shitty job suck all the more." Red-X said darkly, and Starfire then realized that he intended to either dislocate the man's shoulder or break his arm. He was going too far and Starfire knew she had to do something.

Just as the redhead stood up from his hiding spot, she caught the last remaining thug shakily reach into his suit pocket and remove a gun. Her eyes widened as he pointed it directly at Red-X. He was going to kill him.

"No!" she yelled and darted forward to stop both men from making grave mistakes.

Red-X's head snapped up in surprise at her voice. He stared at angered redhead in shock before noticing the ball of green energy in her right fist aimed at him. He hurriedly released the man's arm and reached for a weapon on his utility belt. His fingers just grasped the clasp to his xarangs when a flash of green came barreling in his direction. There wasn't time to dodge or react to the attack, so his body instinctively tensed and waited for the burning impact of one of Starfire's energy bolts…only for it to never come.

A heavy thud and clattering sound from behind him caused Red-X to spin around. Lying unconscious on the ground was the final thug that he'd been saving for last and next to him was a gun. His eyes widened at realization of what almost happened. That son of a bitch was going to shoot him! That coward!

"Good aim…" he mumbled then turned his head to look at the Titan. "You _were_ aiming for him, right?"

Starfire kept her hands charged with energy in case Red-X tried something desperate to make his escape. She had to stall him until the other Titans arrived.

"Don't move." She threatened, raising her arm toward him.

"If you really didn't want me moving then you would've let that goon take his shot."

She stared at him like he'd lost his mind. How could he even joke about such a thing?

He took a step closer and Starfire narrowed as his approach. "I will not miss on purpose again if you take another step. I'm taking you in."

His chest moved up and down slightly as she heard a soft chuckle escape through the mask. "Taking me in? Under what charges? Performing self-defense? I imagine that'd be a new one down at the station."

"You know full well what you have done!" she snapped back as his sarcasm. "I saw you steal those thug's briefcase then proceed to openly challenge them! You are not an innocent man in this situation!"

Red-X was quiet as he studied her.

"So you confirm that you are in the wrong?" she inquired.

"You had all that time to step in…." He paused again and titled his skull mask slightly to the side. "Why didn't you try to save those men that I beat up? I hurt them and yet you held back."

"I knew they were in no real danger." She countered. Where was he going with this?

"Did you? Do you know if any of them are still breathing? How sure are you about my mortality?"

She glanced at the motionless bodies surrounding them. They _were_ just passed out, right? Her stomach tightened at the thought that she'd just witnessed several human's deaths.

" _Exactly_ " he purred darkly.

She could practically hear the grin on his face from his voice.

He started to take several steps toward her but Starfire didn't know how to react. If he really were a murderer then he wouldn't show her mercy while she did her best to restrain him and not truly harm him. The Teen Titans were not murderers.

He reached out and gently grasped her wrist as she eyed him nervously. She couldn't tell what he was thinking and nothing about his aura hinted at any ill intent. There was an intense, pure emotion radiating from him but she couldn't place it.

Slowly he lowered her hand and took another step closer. This close she realized that he had grown a lot in the years that he'd been absent from Jump City. Starfire was very tall for her age and was second tallest on the team just after Cyborg. Robin had grown over the years as well but Starfire still beat him by an inch.

Red-X was now taller than her and she had to tilt her head up just to look into the dark depths of his mask where she knew his hidden gaze to be.

"But you're right," he suddenly said.

Starfire gave him a confused look.

"I'm not a murderer, but that doesn't mean I won't do what I need to ensure my own life. These men aren't dead because that's not what I do. Their deaths wouldn't benefit me in my line of work. I'm not an assassin, though there's not a doubt in my mind that I'd make an extraordinary one. I'm sure it'd pay better too."

Starfire wanted to say that she knew that he wasn't a murderer, but did she really? She'd only crossed paths with him twice and assumed she understood his motives from those two occurrences. She knew of him for four years, but that was not the same as _knowing_ someone for that long. She didn't know this man. Not a damned thing, except she acted like she had. Was she like that for most criminals? Had she underestimated him?

"Then why don't you?" she found herself asking, ignoring that he still had his larger hand wrapped around her thin wrist. His hold was firm but gentle.

"Because I'm not that kind of man."

"No, just one that steals." She raised an eyebrow.

He chuckled again and she felt his thumb begin to trace circles on the inside of her wrist.

"I do that as means to get by. And also because its fun and I like the challenge." He mused darkly and stepped closer.

Starfire breathed heavily once. His chest had pushed up against hers and she could feel the heat radiating from him. She didn't want to admit it but it felt amazing after days of missing the warmth of the sun.

"You're still a criminal." She breathed when his skull mask started to tilt towards her face.

"I could be worse and yet I'm not," he muttered lowly, his chest vibrating against her smaller one. He moved closer as the hand on her wrist snaked up her arm. "I'm no ordinary thief, cutie."

"What are you doing?" she breathed shyly when he started to lift the bottom part of his mask.

She was actually able to see the grin on his lips instead of imagining it there whenever she heard amusement in his tone. It was much better than what she'd pictured in her mind.

He stopped lifting it just above his nose and moved his hand to softly cup her cheek.

"I want to thank my savior. May I?"

Starfire blushed at both the name and what he was asking of her. Her heart was beating against her chest so hard she was afraid he could feel the echoes of it through his chest. He grinned smugly and something told her that _yes_ , he could feel it, and maybe that's what gave him the confidence to lean in and softly place his warm lips on hers.

The hand on her shoulder slid to firmly cup the back of her neck as he leaned more into her, practically covering her petite figure with his taller and broader one. She gasped at his eagerness and felt her body tingle from head to toe. He threaded his fingers through her long hair and she moaned softly at the pressure on her scalp. He pushed more forward, causing her to lean back and dip in his embrace. If he hadn't been holding her then definitely would've lost balance and fallen back.

He leisurely withdrew as Starfire slowly blinked, confused by her relaxed state and the odd urge to lean forward and capture his warm lips again.

"You have no idea how long I've dying to do that." He chuckled and Starfire blushed crimson.

"Y-You what?" she stuttered in surprise.

"Don't fret over it, cutie. I was never going to steal a kiss without your permission. Makes me somewhat glad that I was almost shot tonight." He confessed and pulled his mask back down.

Starfire was about to respond until her Titan communicator starting ringing. She unclipped it from her belt and saw Robin's name flashing on the screen.

"Backup?" Red-X knowingly assumed.

"Yes…" she muttered in thought then turned up to him. Under his mask, he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't suppose you could stay right here with me for another few minutes?" she asked hopefully but knew it was useless.

"As mush as I've missed that little bird kid and the rest of your team, I think I'm gonna call it a night. I was almost shot you know?"

Starfire pouted but also couldn't hold back a smile. "I'm still going to try and stop you, you know? You still committed a crime and have much to explain for."

Red-X sighed and half turned away from her.

"Ah, I was afraid you'd say something like that." He said calmly then suddenly shot his hand out towards her.

Starfire gasped and covered her face as a giant red X came soaring towards her. She was pushed back into the brick wall with her body and arms glued to the stone. She tried wiggling herself free but the X was a lot stickier and more robust than she remembered it being.

"Close your eyes, cutie."

Starfire happened to blink just as he asked and felt more red goo gently being placed over half of her upper face. He made sure to leave her nose and mouth uncovered so she could still breath.

"I can hear your friends coming so don't worry about being alone for too long. The goo might be a little tricky to wash out so I wouldn't bother trying to clean your suit afterward. And don't worry; I made sure not to get any in your beautiful mane. It'd be a shame if you had to cut it," he commented and softly picked up a strand and slid it between his gloved fingers. She felt the gentle pull of his caress.

"Robin will pursue you all night with the team behind him or not. Why have you not fled yet?"

He stopped stroking her hair.

"I suppose I'm just not ready to be parted from you, cutie." He sighed then withdrew his hand. "Although you make a good point. I'm sure my absence must've driven your little leader crazy. I think he's going enjoy the chase I'm going to give him."

That was an understatement. Robin was almost as obsessed with finding Red X as he was capturing Slade. The Red-X situation was very personal to Robin and Starfire knew the guilt would never go away unless he removed Red-X from the streets for good.

"So you have returned then?" she suddenly asked, trying to keep him talking and stall. She could still feel his body heat in front of her and know that he was close. She wished that she could actually see him.

"How can a man not think about sticking around after spending the night with such a beautiful woman?" A thumb came up and lightly skimmed her cheekbone. "Don't worry, cutie, I won't be leaving anytime soon."

Starfire didn't know how she felt about that. Her body felt warm and her heart beat a little faster, but a heavy weight had begun to settle in the pit of her stomach. He wasn't being serious, was he?

"I'll see you at my next break in, cutie. Try not to miss me too much in the meantime." He practically purred excitably close to her left ear. She felt his warmth shift away. "Oh, and tell the little bird I'm still loving his suit. I've made a few updates of my own that I'm sure he'll be interested in. Till next time."

There was a soft static sound that she felt and heard before the space around her became completely quiet. She guessed that he activated his invisibility cloak and disappeared by scaling up the fire escapes and fled on foot atop the roofs. She knew that because it seemed exactly like something Robin would do.

Starfire sighed and slumped against the wall, trying to think of how she was going to explain everything to her team. Robin was _not_ going to be pleased, especially when she passed on what Red-X had told her.


End file.
